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Sea



Majestic and tyrannical, the sea has never ceased to fascinate artists. Untameable, this force of nature seems to have a life of its own and has inspired many artists. Since antiquity, the sea has been represented in all its glory, century after century it is honoured through various styles and colours. However, this desire to escape to the great outdoors is certainly not only reserved for 21st century painters

Maritime art began at the same time as history painting - in the 15th century, and they share many common traits. Maritime painting mostly depicts scenes of combat, historical incidents and mythology where people play a crucial role. It wasn't until the 17th century that artists stopped depicting people in their seascapes and focused solely on the representation of the landscape itself instead.

In the Middle Ages, shipwrecks and storms terrorised citizens as they interpreted them as signs of God's wrath. he church even used images of the rough sea to hold power over its believers.

Representations in classical painting were strictly governed by academic rules, and often didn't manage to convey true emotion. Maritime scenes joined the mainstream in the 19th century, especially with the arrival of the Romantic period as emotions played a much greater role in marine painting. The two great masters of the period were J.M.W Turner and Caspar David Friedrich who captured the attention of their contemporaries and whose works continue to mesmerise us today.

For the impressionists, the sea was a sublimation of nature. During the 19th century, artists come out of their studios in order to paint and describe nature as they saw  and feel it. By the end of the 19th century, the sea was no longer a simple, blue expanse but rather an eruption of emotions illuminated through painting.

Contemporary art offers a new insight into creation. Today, the technique is overrun by the message and intention of the work. Therefore, we find all varieties of sea illustrations where the sea becomes an image of contemporary creation. Even though the sea is sometimes reinvented, it remains true to reality.

The new generation of contemporary artists create works that depict freshness, escape, lost coves, waves, and that salty seaside air. Discover our selection inspired by ocean waters.





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Fine Art Drawings, Drawing, Tekla Aleksieva

Drawing

Tekla Aleksieva

Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 39.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 15.6 x 0.1 inch

$2,144

Painting, Coast, Steve McGuinness

Coast

Steve McGuinness

Painting - 26 x 56 x 3 cm Painting - 10.2 x 22 x 1.2 inch

$2,081

Painting, Soft breeze, Foti Fotev

Soft breeze

Foti Fotev

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$2,427

Painting, Marine, Jacques Meunier

Marine

Jacques Meunier

Painting - 18 x 26 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.1 x 10.2 x 0 inch

$347

Painting, Browing, Ebru Uygun

Browing

Ebru Uygun

Painting - 77 x 57 x 2 cm Painting - 30.3 x 22.4 x 0.8 inch

$5,779

Painting, Pêcheur, Em'Ji

Pêcheur

Em'Ji

Painting - 106 x 74 x 4 cm Painting - 41.7 x 29.1 x 1.6 inch

$2,774

Painting, La traversée, Maite Diniz

La traversée

Maite Diniz

Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,618

Fine Art Drawings, Seascape, Pierre Fournel

Seascape

Pierre Fournel

Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 25 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 9.8 x 0 inch

$867

Painting, Blu, Jayé Ouellette

Blu

Jayé Ouellette

Painting - 20.3 x 61 x 5.1 cm Painting - 8 x 24 x 2 inch

$1,750

Print, Sea edge, April Gornik

Sea edge

April Gornik

Print - 50 x 73 x 1 cm Print - 19.7 x 28.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,734

Photography, Far Away I, Cheryl Maeder

Far Away I

Cheryl Maeder

Photography - 80 x 120 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 inch

$4,392

Painting, The Crossing 218, Bao Vuong

The Crossing 218

Bao Vuong

Painting - 140 x 140 x 10 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 3.9 inch

$32,942

Painting, Sailboat, Nathan Zeidman

Sailboat

Nathan Zeidman

Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.5 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 0.6 inch

$8,500

Painting, Waves, Livia Mosanu

Waves

Livia Mosanu

Painting - 30.5 x 30.5 x 2 cm Painting - 12 x 12 x 0.8 inch

$515

Print, Coastline, Howard Behrens

Coastline

Howard Behrens

Print - 106.7 x 147.3 x 5.1 cm Print - 42 x 58 x 2 inch

$2,250

Painting, Matin rose, Pière Baldi

Matin rose

Pière Baldi

Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

$3,352

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Camille Adra

Sans titre

Camille Adra

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 40 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 15.7 inch

$231

Fine Art Drawings, The Long Journey, Yuliy Takov

The Long Journey

Yuliy Takov

Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 28 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 11 x 0.1 inch

$1,144

Painting, Vue du port, Tom Davies

Vue du port

Tom Davies

Painting - 16 x 27 x 0.3 cm Painting - 6.3 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch

$1,122

Photography, Saint Gildas, Ifig

Saint Gildas

Ifig

Photography - 30 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$451

Painting, Coral I, Tani Telas

Coral I

Tani Telas

Painting - 90 x 70 x 1.5 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.6 inch

$925

Fine Art Drawings, Equinoxes #23, Yann Bagot

Equinoxes #23

Yann Bagot

Fine Art Drawings - 32.5 x 24.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.8 x 9.6 inch

$1,503

Photography, Tuneis, Gilberto Perin

Tuneis

Gilberto Perin

Photography - 40 x 60 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 inch

$1,063

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